Software major BlackBerry has unveiled a new cybersecurity tool called "BlackBerry Jarvis" for automakers that will scan in real-time all software components in an autonomous vehicle to predict and fix vulnerabilities.

BlackBerry logo. Reuters

Jarvis aims to help automakers with safety backups as they develop software required for self-driving cars.

In a keynote address at the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) here late on 15 January, BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen said "Jarvis" scans and delivers deep actionable insights in minutes, what would otherwise involve manually scanning that will take large numbers of experts and an impractical amount of time.

BlackBerry has already begun trialing "Jarvis" with some of the world's largest automakers.

"Jaguar Land Rover and BlackBerry share a common objective in bringing the most intelligent vehicles to reality" said Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover.

"In our independent study, Jarvis delivered excellent efficiencies in time-to-market, significantly reducing the time to security assess code from 30 days to seven minutes," he added.

"Jarvis" is customised for the unique needs of each OEM and their entire software supply chain.

Once initiated, automakers will have online access to Jarvis and can scan any number of binary files at every stage of software development.

This includes the capability to evaluate new software under consideration as well as the ability to assess existing software already in production.

Once scanned, development teams have immediate access to the results via user-friendly dashboards with specific cautions and advisories.

"Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed, creating a significant challenge for automakers who must ensure the code complies with industry and manufacturer-specific standards while simultaneously battle-hardening a very large and tempting attack surface for cybercriminals," Chen said in a statement.

"Jarvis" is also applicable to other industry segments like healthcare, industrial automation, aerospace and defence.

"Jarvis is a game-changer for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) because for the first time, they have a complete, consistent, and near real-time view into the security posture of a vehicle's entire code base," Chen said.